London, 19 June

UK’s Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, presented the inaugural USD 25,000 IGF Archer-Amish Award for Storytellers, named after bestselling authors Lord Jeffrey Archer and Amish Tripathi, to doctor-author Shalini Mullick for her novel ‘The Way Home’.

Mullick’s novel, which tells the story of three millennials seeking refuge in Goa as they navigate personal demons, was selected as the standout work for its moving and relatable exploration of grief, identity and healing.

Presenting the award at the India Global Forum (IGF) UK-India Week in London on Wednesday, Nandy emphasised the award's wider cultural significance and the shared bonds between India and the UK.

“People-to-people connections are incredibly important for us,” said Nandy, the British Indian Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

“At the global stage, we are finding multiple ways of dividing ourselves. The world is fracturing and polarising, and there is a desperate need for governments that will take a lead in transcending these barriers. That is what PM Narendra Modi and PM Keir Starmer have committed to do,” she said.

“For an author, I am absolutely speechless,” said Mullick, who is a practicing doctor and finds time to write amid a busy daily roster.

“I’m thrilled, overwhelmed and extremely humbled. This award will allow me to take some time out and dedicate it to writing my next book. It will help me to move writing beyond just a hobby, for which I have to steal that morning one hour for and I can give it the amount of time that I want to,” she said.

Launched at the IGF summit last year, the Archer Amish-Award for Storytellers is conceived as a celebration of contemporary Indian fiction that reflects the complexity, diversity and dynamism of modern India. Presented in partnership with land developer The House of Abhinandan Lodha, the award seeks to highlight the role of culture in shaping global narratives and driving forward the bilateral partnership.

“At the heart of every great idea is a story. The IGF Archer-Amish Award is our way of bringing untold Indian stories to light, giving them the global platform they deserve, and reminding the world that literature, too, is a force that shapes nations,” said IGF founder and chairman Manoj Ladwa.

Archer, the renowned English novelist of ‘Kane and Abel’ and ‘The Clifton Chronicles’, said this award was important because it celebrated the power of storytellers.

“I challenge you to count the number of Nobel Prize winners you know and have read about. It’s the storytellers that people read,” he said.

“The job of a storyteller is to grab attention and not let it fade,” added Amish Tripathi, the author of ‘The Shiva Trilogy’ and ‘Ram Chandra Series’.

Mullick’s novel was chosen from what they described as a strong set of top three finalists, including author Nitya Neelakanthan’s ‘Navapashanam – The Quest for the Nine Magical Poisons’ and Yogesh Pandey’s ‘The Kill Switch’.